Even when words are our preferred form of self-expression, sometimes our feelings are too deep, powerful, or painful to be expressed clearly. The act of artistic creation can empower us to feel and process deep emotion and communicate them to others without being held back by language or fear of direct confrontation. Whether we can’t find the right words to say or we can’t bear to say them, we can substitute colors, shapes, images, textures, and light to mimic or explore what we’re feeling in a safe, therapeutic setting.
Once A. K. Coomaraswamy, the great twentieth-century Indian expert on traditional metaphysics and art, said that in modern society the artist is a special kind of person, while in traditional society every person is a special kind of artist.
